News in Brief:
– Nigeria’s agriculture and development departments are coming together to boost agricultural development, particularly in the northern regions.
– Key initiatives include the Metal to Green House Project, farm training centres, and youth empowerment programs, focusing on climate-smart practices and inclusive development.
Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, recently met with his counterpart in the Ministry of State for Regional Development, Uba Maigari Ahmadu, to discuss collaborative efforts to enhance agricultural development across Nigeria.
The aim is to boost agricultural productivity in the North-East, North-West, and North-Central regions.
According to Senator Kyari’s press release, key discussion areas included the Metal to Green House Project, the establishment of Farm Training Centers, and youth empowerment programs, all aimed at sustainable agricultural transformation.
Additionally, particular emphasis was placed on climate-smart agriculture and initiatives to empower women, marginalised groups, and community-based hubs.
Significance of the partnership
Essentially, the partnership is significant as it leverages the strengths of both sectors to achieve sustainable agricultural transformation in Nigeria.
It addresses various aspects of agricultural development, including infrastructure (Metal to Green House Project), human capital development (Farm Training Centers, youth empowerment programs), and climate resilience (climate-smart agriculture).
Recall that Ahmadu had hinted at plans by the government to deal with food insecurity challenges in the country by converting waste metal scraps to greenhouse farms.
Effectively, the idea is to use discarded vessel scraps from the country’s territorial waters from Lagos to Bayelsa and convert them to greenhouse farms.
According to the minister, the government intends to locate them around city centres to produce crops that can be grown under greenhouses to contribute towards food security. He added that the initiative would help to combat banditry in those areas, although, no details were provided on how the initiative would achieve this aim.
However, the minister assured the public of the administration’s dedicated efforts toward this plan, revealing that it is partnering with four steel companies to actualise the goal.
Meanwhile, the agriculture minister reiterated the administration’s commitment to the partnership. He confirmed that a supervisor has been appointed to oversee the formation of a technical team and the selection of pilot sites for project implementation.
Furthermore, he disclosed that the Permanent Secretaries of both ministries have been tasked with maintaining close coordination to ensure ongoing dialogue, regular progress reviews, and the successful implementation of these initiatives.
